Royal wedding fashion: Hits and Misses

Royal wedding guests can often be so mired in the pomp and ceremony of the occasion that they end up playing it too safe in the fashion stakes. Not so the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton , which provided an opportunity for many a style statement, from both the Royal family and their countless celebrity guests.

Princess Beatrice of York scored well with the fashion pack in her blush, ladylike Valentino haute couture ensemble, topped off with a stunning and contemporary Philip Treacy hat, leaving sister Eugenie somewhat in the shade in her over-fussy cobalt blue Vivienne Westwood gown.








Political wives Samantha Cameron and Miriam Gonzalez Durantez experimented with mixed results. Cameron's ruched, silk-crepe Burberry dress provided a sexier silhouette than we are used to see the Prime Minister's wife in, but her lack of a hat or fascinator left some wondering if she thought it was dress-down Friday at the Abbey.

Miriam's tailored polka dot dress topped off with an eccentric floral turban gave a nod to her fiery Spanish roots and won plaudits, not least for her bravery.

Realising that her options dress-wise were limited, a heavily pregnant Victoria Beckham chose instead to say it with shoes, choosing a six inch pair of Christian Louboutin 'Daffodile' court shoes which bordered on fetishistic.

When you are a leading light at the big day, it's not about going over the top, to avoid accusations of trying to upstage the bride (some chance of that on this occasion), but there's a fine line between 'careful' and 'boring'.

Mother of the bride Carole Middleton and step-mother of the groom, the Duchess of Cornwall, both pitched their outfits perfectly. Carole did her daughter proud in a sky blue Catherine Walker ensemble with matching Jane Corbett hat, while Camilla proved once again that she's a woman who knows what suits her, and sticks to it.

The Duchess of Cornwall's elegant embellished, pleated dress coat by Anna Valentine, who also made her wedding dress for her marriage to Prince Charles, was the perfect pastel accompaniment to her complexion.

Completing the trio of safe but successful style statements is Queen Elizabeth II, whose signature head-to-toe hued outfits have become a legend in her own lifetime. Her lemon dress coat and matching hat by Angela Kelly was accessorised to perfection with chic, off-white gloves and shoes, finished with Queen Mary's True Lovers Knot brooch.

Of course, taking fashion risks can also lead to fashion disasters as Tara Palmer Tomkinson proved, taking spring's colour blocking trend one step beyond the boundaries of taste. Her retina-searing electric blue dress by Deborah Milner suffered from OCD (obsessive coordination disorder), with gloves, shoes and a hat by Philip Treacy all dyed to perfectly match.

Source : telegraph.co.uk